Homeschooling Mom Launches Children's Picture Book Series for African-American Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston, Texas, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 10, 2011 --

Raychelle Muhammad, a native of Houston, Texas, is a homeschool educator, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, writer, blogger, and now a self-published author and children's book illustrator. She was inspired by her 11 year-old daughter to pen the first title in the series, Little Girls Like You. Her "Like You" series includes Little Girls Like You, Little Boys Like You, Fit Girls Like You, and Fit Boys Like You. The first two books encourage high self-esteem, education, family, achievement, friendship, and character. The next two titles were written in an effort to combat childhood obesity by teaching healthy habits and encouraging an active lifestyle. The series will ultimately include at least ten titles, including her upcoming releases of Smart Girls Like You and Smart Boys Like You in early 2012.

As lovers of reading, this mother-daughter duo spends a considerable amount of time visiting libraries and local bookstores. Finding a wide selection of books written for and by people of color is still difficult in the current landscape. According to Mrs. Muhammad, "It has always been a challenge to find stories whose characters represent diverse populations. I now have pre-school aged nieces and nephews who love to read, however, the problem persists. It is critical that children see themselves represented in the books they read, especially in their formative years."

Mrs. Muhammad self-published Little Girls Like You and Little Boys Like You in July 2011, and released Fit Girls Like You and Fit Boys Like You in November 2011 using CreateSpace, an Amazon.com company. All of her books are available in paperback and eBook formats. Using self-publishing platforms allows new authors to establish a following for their work while maintaining creative and financial control. It also enables authors to deliver their books to the marketplace quickly. "I have enjoyed being part of the indie author movement. I appreciate the opportunity to fill a literary void in my community without compromise. Of course, being traditionally published would be a great life experience. However, authors will write more books than will ever be published. Those are just the odds. If you love to write and want to share your work with others, self-publishing is the way to go."

In the coming months, Mrs. Muhammad will continue to market and promote her current titles while creating new installments in her series. She is also designing an activity book, an academic calendar, and a children's cookbook. Her blog (http://www.Raychelle-Writes.blogspot.com) will feature interviews from fellow authors and illustrators, as well as literary agents and publishers. Mrs. Muhammad is looking forward to school visits and completing some freelance illustration projects.

african-american literature     childhood obesity     Children     CreateSpace     Kindle     picture books for children     reading     self-esteem